Knocking pen



/N VEN TOR.

Oct. 25, 1927.

O. C. SCHMIDT KNOCKING PEN Filed A112.. l5, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 25, 1927. o Q SCHMIDT KNOCKING PEN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 15, 1927 A Patented Oct. Z5, "19.217,

Unirse etarras reisen `PATENT QFFICE.

OSCAR C. SCHIVHDT, OF CFICINNAT, (EH10, ASSTNOR T0 THE CINCINNATI BUTCHERS SUPELY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A COREORATEON OF OHIO.

KNOCKING PEN.

Application filed August 15, 1927. Serial No. 213,158.

ltis the object of iny invention to provide a new and iniproved knocking pen of siinple construction and of few parts, and so ai'- ran ged that the knocked aniinal will be automatically discharged froin the pen; further, to provide novel ineans 'whereby a inovable floor 'in knocking pens is dispensed with; and, further, to provide an iinproved knoching pen comprising flanged bars and nietal sheeting so fornied as to strengthen the france of theA pen and to discharge the collapsing animal from the side of the pen.

The invention will be further readily understood frein the following description and claims, and frein the drawings,v in which latter:

Fig. l is a front device. Fig. Fig. Fig. 11 is a rear end elevation of the saine. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the sanie, taken on the irregular line ,Vn-5 of Fig. it; and, i

Fig. 6 is. a vertical central section of the sanie, taken on the line G-6 of Figunl.

The fraine of niy improved device coinprises angle iron corner posts 11, the tops of which are connected at the front and rear elevation of iny improved 2 is a4 plan view of the saine.

ofthe fraine respectively by angle iron longitudinal stringere 12, 13, and atithe .ends of the 'traine respectively by angle iron cross stringers 1li, 15. The middle portions of the posts are, at the `front and rear o f the traine, respectively connected by longitudinal angle iron stringere 16, 17.. A rear lower longitudinal angle iron s tringer 18 connects the rear posts near their bottoms. The bottoms of the post are, at the respective'ends of the `fraine, connected by plates 19, 20, secured respectively at their ends tok one of the wings of angle iron feet 21, 22, in turn secui'ed respectively to the lower 1 ends of the upriglits. These cross-strips rest4 Aupon the floor Q3, which inay be the killing floor of the slaughter house, and present no obstruction to the passage of the aniinal into and out of the ends of the pen.

Rear metal sheets 25 extend across the upper portion of the rear wall of the pen, the margins of the sheets being secured to the longitudinal stringers 13, 17, and the rear posts. rhe upper portion of the front wall of theipen is closed by a inetal sheet, the margins which are secured to the vertical 3 is a front end elevation of the saine.V

wings of the longitudinal stringers 12, 16, and the corresponding wings of the front upri ghts.

The lower portion of the rear wall coinprises steel sheeting 31, which includes a downwardly forwardly sloping wall 32, and endwise outwardly and rearwardly sloping ends 33, 34, which are bent froin the downn wardly, forwardly sloping portion of sheeting along bends 35, 36, at the'ends of said downwardly, forwardly sloping portion of said sheeting. This arrangementforinssaid downwardly forwardly sloping portion of said sheeting with downwardly and forwardly converging ends.

The upper inargin of said downwardly forwardly sloping sheeting is secured to one of the wings of the ieai longitudinal stringer 17, and the rear ends of said endwise outwardly and rearwardly sloping ends are `fixed to the proximate wings of the rear posts of the frame. n

in order to further strengthen said downwardly forwardly sloping `portion of. the rear wall, the rear face of said sheeting Yhas an' angle iron 87 fixed thereto, one `ot' the wings of which is fixed to said sheeting and the other of the wings of which'projects rearwardly therefroin. Angle ironbrackets 38 are fixed crosswise to the rear angle iron `striiiger 18. One ofthe wings of these angle iron brackets are partly cut away ati their front ends to forni iianges 39, which are bent slantingly upward parallelwith and under the rearwardly projecting wing of the angle iron brace 37, for reinforcing said` down wardly and forwardly lower portion of said rear wall. rlhe said wings are rigidly fixed together.

The upper portions of the ends of the fraine are provided with cross plates 41, 112, respectively rigidly fixed to the upright posts at the respective ends of the traine. rllhis leaves spaces L113, stil, at the respective ends of said :traine Yfor the passage of cattle.

The fabricated flanged bars and the plates and sheeting, which inay be steel sheeting, are rigidly secured together in any suitable inanner, as by ineans of rivets, Vnuts and bolts, or by being welded together, electrically or otherwise.

in operators platform 51 is secured to the front wall of the training.l as by having its inner end fixed to one of the wings of the longitudinal stringer 16. Supporting hangers 52, in the form of strips, are secured to the outer portions of the respective Y the plate 59.

" through the Ylower ends of the platform and to the end front corner posts above the platform.

The end spaces in the endV walls of the pen are preferably arranged to be closed by gates 55, 56. These gates are Vof similar con struction, and respectively comprisevcrossbars 57, 58, tov which a closingV sheet 59 is secured, a bracing bar 60 iixedly connecting the cross-bars. The cross-bars and the bracing bar are preferably formed of angle iron. Hinge brackets 61 are fixed to one of thev corner posts, a hinge rod 62 being received through holes in the yhorizontal wings of the cross-bars and holes in said hinge brackets for hinging the gate.

Each'of the gates is provided with latch bars 65, 66, hingedL to the gate on bolts 67, 68, and connected by a link 69 hinged to said bars by bolts 70, 71. The link is provided with an `operating handle 72. bars reciprocate under straps 73, 74, fixed to gate keepers 75, 76, which arev fixed to the end upright post, for. receiving the latch bars `and closing the gate. i p The animal to be knocked is admitted to the penV through one-of the gates and stands on the killing fioor.` The operator stands on the Vplatform and knocks the animal through the top of the pen. in collapsing falls against the lower end of the rear wall,"which slopes forwardly and downwardly at its middle portion, and the knocked animal `is portion of the front wall of thevpen.

This normally open lower portion is be-V *low the platform 51. The upper portion of this space is normally closed by a door 81,

which comprises a sheet of metal 82 across which hinge straps 83 are fixed. These hinge straps have hinge eyes 84 at their upperends. `A hinge rod 85 is receivedthrough these hinge eyes and through holes Y -in angle iron brackets 86 fixed to the longitudinal Stringer 16.V An langle iron bracing strip 87 extends longitudinally across vthe lower marginv of themetal sheet of the door. One of the wings ofthis angle iron strip and the lower margin of the metal sheet of the door arefrigidly fixed together.

A latch-bar 91 is hinged to the door on a bolt 92. Straps 93, 94, are fixed to the door at the outside of the latch-bar. The ends of the latch bar reciprocate under s aid straps. Keepers 95, 96, Vfor the latch-bar are fixed tothe respective front posts at the ends of the pen. Thelatch-bar is pro-l vided with an extended handle 97. 'Moving the handle upwardly releases the latch-bar from the keepers and permits the swinging of the door. The lower end of the door is providedwt-h a latch 98, by meansfof SaidA The latch bars coact with The animal ing thereby proj ected which it may be suspended from the platform 51 to liold the front door open.

instance, in knocking smaller animals, in order to prevent the escape of such Vsmaller animals through the front of said pen before the knocking takes place. Vhen such smaller animals are knocked, they collapse upon the forwardly sloping rear wall and are projected outwardly thereby.

TWherever parts are fixed together in my improved construction they may be either bolted or riveted together, or fixed together by electric or other welding. y

`My improved knocking'pen is simple and economically made and provides a firm and strongstructure for the purpose'intended. The lower portion of the rear wall has its ends sloped endwise outwardly and rearwardly for directing the animal to the front portion of the middle of the pen without danger of stumbling or injury to the animal, and compelling the vanimal to stand in such manner as to be most convenient for the operator, and for enhancing his automatic discharge from the pen and facilitatdischarge of the animal feet-first through the front wall of the pen.y

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: Y

1. A knocking pen comprising Aa frame 'built up of fabricated flanged bars and metal sheets, said frame comprising a front wall and a rear wall, the lower portion of said rear wall comprising metal sheeting whose upper edge is substantially in ther plane of said rear wall and which slopes downwardly and forwardly toward said front wall of said frame andhas end portions which slope oppositely endwise outwardly and rearwardly toward the plane of said rear wall Valong bends at the ends of said downwardly and forwardly sloping portion of said rear sheeting, which bends converge downwardly, the rear margins of said end portions fixed to the rear of said frame, and an operators platform along the front of said front wall, the lower portion of said front wall provided with a discharge opening opposite said downwardly and forwardly sloping portion of said sheeting'for discharge of the knocked animal.

2. A knocking pen comprising a frame built up of fabricated flanged `barsand metal sheets, said frame comprising a front wall `and a rear wall, the lower portion of said lill) isc upper edge is substantially `in the plane of said rear wall and which slopes downwardly and forwardly toward said front wall of said frame and has end portions which slope oppositely endwise outwardly and rearwardly toward the plane of said rear wall along bends at the ends of said downwardly and forwardly sloping portion of said rear sheeting, which bends converge downwardly, the rear margins of said end portions fixed to the rear of said frame, an operators plat-- form along the front of said front wall, the lower portion of said front wall provided with a discharge opening opposite said downwardly and forwardly sloping portion of said sheeting for discharge of the knocked animal, and a gate extending across the upper portion of said discharge opening below said platform and hinged at its upper portion to said front wall so as to swing upwardly under said platform.

3. A knocking pen comprising a frame inailt up of fabricated flanged hars and metal sheets, said frame comprising a front wall and a rear wall, the lower portion of said rear wall comprising metal sheeting whose upper edge is substantially in the plane of said rear wall and which slopes down *'ardly and forwardly toward said front wall of said frame and has end portions which slope oppositely endwise outwardly and rearwardly toward the plane of said rear wall along bends at the ends cf said downwardly and forwardly sloping J portion of said. rear sheeting, which bends converge downwardly, the rear margins of said end portions fixed to the rear of said frame, an operators platform along the front of said front wall, the lower portion of said front wall provided with a discharge opening opposite said downwardly and forwardly sloping portion of said sheeting for discharge of the knocked animal, a gate extending across the upper portion of said opening helow said platform and hinged at its upper portion to said front wall so as to swing upwardly under said platform, means for latching said last-named gate to said front wall, and means for latching said front gate to said platform.

4. A knocking pen comprising a frame huilt up of fabricated flanged hars and sheet metal, said frame comprisinga front wall and a rear wallq the lower portion of which rear wall comprises metal sheeting whose upper edge is substantially/in the plane of said rear wall and which slopes downwardly and forwardly toward said front wall and has end port-ions fixed to said frame, a flanged har extending lengthwise of said sloping portion and fixed to the rear face of said downwardly and forwardly sloping portion intermediate of the height of said downwardly and forwardly sloping portion.` a longitudinal Stringer fixed to said frame in rear of said sloping portion above the lower end of said sloping portion, and `cross brackets fixed to said longitudinal stringer and coacting with said flanged har for rein forcing said downwardly and forwardly sloping metal sheeting.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my naine.

OSCAR C. SCHMIDT. 

